A group within the People’s Democratic Party in Oyo State “National Equity Group” has described a story published by an online medium that Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja is nursing ambition to succeed Governor Seyi Makinde in 2027 as an attempt to cause disaffection between the governor and Ambassador Arapaja.
The group in a statement issued by its National Secretary, Samson Fredrick said it initially chosen to disregard the said report because it saw the need not to trade words with those who don’t believe in the modest achievements of the governor makinde led administration, noted that reacting to it however, became necessary in order to set the record straight and to put those behind the purveyor of the said fake news to shame.
“In the malicious report published by the said online medium with the caption “Arapaja moves to succeed Makinde in 2027, Begins consultations” Arapaja was alleged to have begun move to take over from Makinde in 2027, a report which is nothing but a blatant lie.”
According to the group, “we want to state that we are highly disappointed in the said unfounded, baseless and frivolous report and wondered why some people could descend so low to the extent of cooking up such baseless, malicious and frivolous story all in the name of politics.
“His Excellency, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja that we know is somebody who have absolute belief that God Almighty alone gives power to whom He will and dethrone whoever He will without being questioned by anybody.
“The said report was the handiwork of some political jobbers who are trying to cause disaffection between the Governor and Ambassador Arapaja because there was never a time he has ever made any move to join the far away 2027 gubernatorial race not to talk of discussing such with anybody whether before or after the 2023 general elections to the best of our knowledge.
“His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde is the Governor of Oyo state and he is doing wonderfully well. And it will be a disservice for anybody that is loyal to him trying to indicate interest in the 2027 gubernatorial in Oyo State which is very very far by now. Such a person could be described as an enemy of the State who does not want the state to progress knowing fully well that the move will definitely cause distraction for our amiable and performing governor.
“The main motive of the publication and its sponsor is to cause rift and disaffection between the Governor and Ambassador Arapaja because they know that Ambassador Arapaja’s loyalty to Governor Makinde is one hundred per cent and Gov. Makinde equally have very high regards for him.
“On the allegation that Ambassador Arapaja used the opportunity of the assignment that His Excellency gave him to oversee the selection of chairmanship and councillor candidates within Ibadan city to favour some candidates allegedly loyal to him, this is also another weighty allegations that they have failed to substantiate because they ought to have mentioned the names or local government where such favour happened. The selection of candidates was purely on merit. All the leaders and stakeholders were carried along in each of the local governments and that was why there was tremendous success in the choice of all the candidates during the primaries.
“Gov. Seyi Makinde is doing wonderfully well to the extent that even if the constitution had permitted for a third term, he would have gotten the support of all the people in the State for a third term in office. This is because in the history of governance in Oyo State we have never had it so good like this.
“He has raised the bar of governance to the extent that Oyo State has become a model for other states to emulate. He has brought a lot of innovations to the governance from education, agriculture, health care, workers welfare, infrastructure, and many other things that cannot be seen on the pages of newspapers.
“Therefore, this reaction is necessary to set the record straight and to warn the media practitioners especially the bloggers to stop being used as agent of destabilisation and to shame the faceless political jobbers that sponsored the publication of fake story. We believe that God shall continue to expose the wolves on sheep’s clothing that have constituted themselves as enemies of progress in Oyo State,” the statement concluded.
